This invention relates to an improved portable orthopedic seat unit insert for providing support for the lower back of the sitter and for relieving lower-back discomfort.
Seat inserts heretofore in use have generally been for the purpose of obtaining ventilation to the rear of or under the sitter or to provide cushioning. They have generally provided merely a flat back portion and a flat seat portion hinged together. They have usually not sought any special approach to support of the lower back and therefore have not usually had any special shaping. Even when they have attempted to provide some lower-back support they have provided for little, if any, possibility of adjustment to adapt the unit for different individuals.
For example, the Manley U.S. Pat. No. 2,081,111 shows an automobile cushion wherein two back-support pads are immovably mounted to a canvas backing. Such adjustment as there is, is obtained by moving the canvas backing up and down the seat. If the user moves his position, he risks shifting the position of the cushion or letting it slide down toward the seat.
The Sopko, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,054 shows a folding portable chair seat with a back-supporting pneumatic cushion that extends laterally across the back and engages the spine along the small of the back. It is not adjustable as to height but only as to the amount of inflation.
These devices do not solve the problem to which the present invention is directed because they lack the necessary adjustment for enabling adaption to different people or even for different times for the same person. Moreover, they do not apply the support to the exact locations where support is needed.
A great many people find regular chairs and sofas uncomfortable and ordinary automobile seats unbearable. For example, for a long cross-country flight in a commercial airline, although many people may find the seats sufficiently comfortable, there are also many who find them unduly uncomfortable and view the taking of such a trip as a very uncomfortable experience. Similarly, many people find that their automobile seats lack comfort; most people put up with the discomfort, but those who have a back problem find riding in such seats very difficult, and they often find prolonged driving to be an excruciating experience.
An important object of the present invention is to provide a portable orthopedic seat insert which greatly adds to the comfort of the sitter, especially one having back problems.
Another object of the invention is to devise a seat insert which provides adequate support where it is needed, --on each side of the lower part of the back--and thereby relieves lower-back discomfort.
Another object is to provide a readily portable folding seat insert which can be taken aboard planes, put in automobiles, and generally moved from place to place, being compact when carried and being convenient to carry.
A further object is to provide an orthopedic seat insert that enables adjustment for each individual and at any time, for quickly providing support where needed.
Another important object is to provide back support in which there is a transfer of forces from one side to the other, thereby aiding in obtaining proper back support.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description.